The poem below can be found at www.chabad.org. It is a wonderful summary of the book of Esther. Selections were read from the poem for the Sacred Canopy message from Esther. As you read the poem, notice that the name of God is not fully written out, which is a sign of respect for the Jewish author. Also, the king's name Acheshverosh in the poem is the same as King Xerxes, which is the translation in the NIV.

We all have a need for life to make sense. A recent posting on facebook: Someone will walk into your life one day and you will finally understand why the relationships in your past never worked out.. One person answered. BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

A few select verses underscore the great purposes of the message of the book of Esther:1 Cor. 16:13: Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. (NLT)Ps. 31:24: Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.Here is a negative way of saying the same thing: Isaiah 7:9b, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (NIV) In the Message Translation it reads, “If you don’t take your stand in faith, you won’t have a leg to stand on.”1 Thes. 3:8: for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court. The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?" When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That'll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit."

Let go and let God. It’s up to God. We have our dreams and desires and imagine our lives taking a certain shape, but ultimately it is up to God. Let go and let God, let God’s will be done, let God reign in our life. Today we meet Esther at the moment of confrontation in which she acts on her convictions.

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” --James Bryant Conant. Risk taking is one of the admirable qualities of Queen Esther. Not knowing the outcome, she literally puts her life on the line and takes a risk. Clearly she weighed the personal consequences, but her personal gain or failure was a secondary concern, compared to her conviction to do that which was right.

God has an awesome plan for each of us. He is in control. Even when the way seems dark, even when our expectations and plans are thwarted, God knows and has a greater design for our lives than we can perceive. So we must wait patiently. We must bide our time. We must persevere. We must live by faith, not with the condition of understanding everything, but with the belief that God is working out our lives according to his good and perfect will.

Carl Crouse, Pastor

At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights.

In general, the previous Sunday's sermon will be posted by Tuesday afternoon.